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So you have just moved away from home and into your first apartment in Mississauga. This is an important step in life and it’s exciting to have your own space. But there are downsides to leaving home. If your Mom has been doing all your laundry for you this is one comfort you will certainly miss.

The first time you do your own laundry in your Mississauga apartment there are a few things to be careful about if you don’t want your whites to turn pink and your woollens to shrink.

The first step is to sort your dirty clothes into separate piles. Make a special pile for sweaters then sort the rest into whites, blacks and colors. Subdivide the colors into groups so that like goes with like. While you are sorting the washing make sure you check the pockets for tissues, papers or even money! Close all zippers.

Check the washing instructions on each garment. Silks and items that have linings such as suits, skirts, dresses, smart trousers and coats should always be dry-cleaned. For sweaters check the manufacturer’s label carefully. Most modern front-loading machines can handle knitted woollens. Just make sure you select the wool wash option. Never try to wash woollens in a top-loading machine.

Now you are ready to start the wash. If you are using a coin-operated machine in your Mississauga apartment block, make sure you have enough of the right coins. Use the amount of detergent recommended on the bottle, and then choose the wash program according to the directions on the garment label. As a general rule, use cold water for colors and dark fabrics and warm water for hard-wearing fabrics and whites.

Before putting clothes in the drier, check the labels to see if it is ok to tumble-dry the articles. Sweaters and delicate or highly decorated items should be dried on a rack. In the case of the sweaters they should be laid out flat. Before loading the drier, make sure the lint trap is empty, otherwise the machine will not work at maximum efficiency.

When your things are dry, fold up anything that does not need ironing and put it in the closet in your Mississauga apartment. Then give your Mom a call and tell her of your success!